Head to head
Hasselblad 500 CM vs Mamiya RB67
Both land on the shortlist for anyone moving up to 6x6 or 6x7 with a budget that says "serious but not bottomless." They shoot the same kind of deliberate, tripod-friendly work, and both have a reputation built over decades of studio and landscape use. The single biggest split is size and weight. The Hasselblad is a compact, hand-holdable cube; the RB67 is a heavy, bellows-driven slab that wants a tripod most of the time.
How they differ
Format and rendering differ first. The Hasselblad shoots square 6x6, so you compose without rotating the camera and crop later if you want a rectangle. The RB67 shoots 6x7, a bigger negative that prints closer to standard paper ratios, and its rotating back lets you switch portrait and landscape without turning the whole body. The Mamiya's bellows focusing means real close-focus and built-in macro range on most lenses, which the Hasselblad gets only with extension tubes. Hasselblad lenses (the Zeiss glass) have a rendering many people chase; Mamiya's Sekor lenses are excellent and sharp, just less mythologized.
Handling is where you feel the gap. The 500 CM is light enough to carry all day and shoot handheld at speed; it is a leaf-shutter system, so flash syncs at any speed, which studio and fill-flash shooters love. The RB67 is big, front-heavy, and slow to work with, but that slowness suits studio portraiture where it earns the nickname "the beast." On cost, RB67 bodies and lenses are usually a good deal cheaper for the same condition, partly because of the weight tax. Hasselblad commands a premium and its service network and parts supply are stronger. Both are mechanical and repairable, but Hasselblad reliability and resale tend to hold up better.
Choose Hasselblad 500 CM
Pick the Hasselblad if you want one camera you will actually carry: travel, street-adjacent work, weddings, anything handheld. The square format suits you, you value leaf-shutter flash sync at every speed, and you want the Zeiss look plus the easiest path to service and resale. It rewards photographers who think in 6x6 and want a system that does not punish them for leaving the tripod at home.
Full Hasselblad 500 CM guide →Choose Mamiya RB67
Pick the RB67 if your work is mostly studio or tripod-based and you want the biggest negative for the money. Portrait shooters love the 6x7 frame, the rotating back, and the close-focusing bellows for tight headshots without accessories. If you do not mind the weight and you want maximum image area and lens value per dollar, the beast pays you back every time you print big.
Full Mamiya RB67 guide →The verdict
Honestly close, and it comes down to how you shoot. If you move around, the Hasselblad wins on portability and flash sync. If you live on a tripod and want the bigger 6x7 negative cheaper, the RB67 is hard to beat. Decide on weight and format first; both will outlast you if cared for.